Back to search
The question

Is it permissible to give Zakat funds to an adult woman for her to distribute them to needy families, or is that not permissible in accordance with the noble verse: "And do not give the السفهاء (foolish/incompetent) your property"?

Share this answer

Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 20261 min readAlso available in العربية
The answer

The verse does not intend to restrict foolishness (safah) to women to the exclusion of men. Foolishness (safah) means poor management of wealth and an inability to preserve it, and this applies equally to both men and women. Al-Tabari supported this interpretation, stating that the verse is general and includes every foolish person, whether young or old, male or female. As for Al-Jassas and Ibn Hazm, they clarified that foolishness (safah) refers to someone who is not adept at preserving and managing wealth. Al-Qurtubi and Al-Nahhas affirmed the invalidity of the claim that the verse refers only to women, citing prophetic traditions that permit women to dispose of their own wealth. A woman, like a man, is not prevented from managing wealth unless she is characterized by foolishness (safah). Therefore, it is permissible to give to a woman to distribute if she is trustworthy, good at managing affairs, and knowledgeable about the categories of zakat recipients.

Summary from Ftawy's records · added here

Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.

Read the full answer on Ftawy
Where this answer came from
Source platform
Ftawy
Original fatwa ID
44689
Added here
. This is when the answer was added to El Fatwa, not the fatwa's date.
Text
Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full ruling
Read the full answer on Ftawy